The American Earl Read Free Page B

take ship from Boston. He expects to reach us sometime in February.”
    I didn’t realize I had been holding my breath until I let it out. “Well, I suppose it’s inevitable,” I said glumly. “He has to come sometime.”
    Mr. Shields put his teacup on the table and looked at me. “There is something else I need to speak to you about, Lady Julia. I have been going over the late earl’s finances, and I think that I should put you in possession of some information before the new earl arrives.”
    This sounded ominous. 
    Next Mr. Shields looked meaningfully at Maria then back to me.  “Perhaps we could be private?”
    I said, “Maria can listen to what you have to say, Mr. Shields.”
    “Are you sure, Julia?” Cousin Flora said nervously. Clearly she thought the report was ominous too.
    “Do you want to stay?” I asked my sister. “It’s obviously not good news.”
    She nodded definitively. “Yes. Whatever Mr. Shields has to say, it will affect me too.”
    I turned back to Mr. Shields and lifted an eyebrow.
    The solicitor sighed. “Very well. First let me give you some information about the new earl. Evan Marshall is, as you know, the son of your father’s younger brother, Thomas. Thomas went to America when he was quite young and did very well for himself. He settled first in Boston and then moved to Salem, a city on the Atlantic coast just north of Boston.”
    He took another sip of his tea.
    Cousin Flora said, “I remember Tommy very well. A delightful boy.”
    Too bad it wasn’t Tommy we were dealing with.
    Mr. Shields said, “He did so well that when he died he left a shipping business worth millions of dollars to his two children, his son Evan and his daughter Frances.”
    My eyes nearly popped from my head. “Millions?”
    “Yes, Lady Julia.”
    This was the first good news I had heard since finding my father. 
    Maria said, “Do you think he will want to live here, in England?”
    “I don’t know,” Mr. Shields replied. “His letter was rather terse. I must say he didn’t sound happy about his new title and responsibilities. These Americans, you know, are an independent lot.”
    These words cheered me immensely. If he didn’t want to be an earl, then he’d go home, I thought. Perfect.
    Mr. Shields cleared this throat. “Lady Julia, I regret that I must also tell you that your father’s personal debts are far greater than any of us anticipated. In fact, he has left debts that – as far as I have calculated – amount to almost half a million pounds.”
    Maria gasped. Cousin Flora almost dropped her teacup. The three of us stared in horror at Mr. Shields.
    He went on, his bulldog face looking immensely sad. “There is no money left in the estate account and very little in the earl’s private banking account.” 
    “Then where are you getting the money you have been sending me?” I demanded.
    That peculiar look came over his face again. “I have taken it from what was left in his personal account.”
    Something about this didn’t sound right, but I didn’t want the allowance to stop so I dropped the subject. 
    Maria asked, her voice sounding breathless, “What is going to happen to us, Mr. Shields?”
    He said, “That will be up to the new earl, Lady Maria.  You and your sister are now under his guardianship.”
    “His guardianship?” I glared at the solicitor.  “I’m eighteen years of age.  I don’t need a guardian.”
    He looked at me steadily. “Under the law, you do, Lady Julia. The earl will take the place of your father until you marry.”
    I was so agitated that I jumped to my feet and began to pace up and down the big room.  “Did my father lose all this money gambling?How could that be possible? Why would people gamble with him when they must have known he was a pauper?”
    “I don’t know, Lady Julia.” Poor Mr. Shields looked wretched. “I am going to suggest that the new earl get an accountant to go through all the accounts and credit demands to see